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Our clubhouse already looks better even though the painting is not quite done. The weather continues to delay completion. Our clubhouse in financial terms our greatest asset as for many of us, our homes are. In the case of MARS when we were donated the clubhouse it was with the condition that we cannot sell it. We are only allowed to donate it to another nonprofit organization. However it is our principal source of income at around $30K per year. Having a clubhouse allows us to gather at the time of our choosing rather than schedule with other users. In the last few years we have been doing some of the expensive projects that a homeowner has to do. We replaced the sewer lateral, replaced the roof, improved the drainage from the deck, and painted the building. We were able to accomplish all of these tasks without borrowing money and without asking our members to contribute extra. If you look at our February balance sheet it shows that we have more than $60K in the bank. Sounds like a lot. However more than half of that is a grant we received for  improving the North Bay Area Mesh network and so is not available for work on the clubhouse. We also have other projects in the planning stages including painting the interior of the clubhouse, improving site drainage, and replacing our aging repeaters. To turn those plans into reality we need to replenish our bank account and to do that I am asking for your help. 

It is traditional in fundraising campaigns to use the image of a thermometer as a quick graphic to show progress. We are a radio club and it seemed to me that some other graphic might be more appropriate for us. To that end I have chosen the S meter. While most amateur radio receivers have some display of received signal strength, many of us remember an actual meter calibrated in “S” units which ran from 0 to 9 and then in decibels above the 9. We would give the other station a signal report in the RST format for Readability, a scale of 1 to 5, Strength on a scale of 0 to 9, and Tone again on a scale of 0 to 9 with a perfect signal report being 599. The strength number was read off the S meter. Of course this was long before the 1984 movie This is Spinal Tap with the bit about volume (gain) controls going up to 11. The S meter went over 9 and so you might report receiving a station at 40 over S9 meaning 40 decibels above the 9 mark on the meter.  So here we are.

S Meter

  

The board has asked me to raise half the cost so that would an S9 but we can hope for that treasured 40 over S9 which represents the total cost. If all our members donated $160 we would reach 40dB over. To donate go to http://w6sg.net/donate-full-width-page.php

 

Amateur Radio

What do you imagine when you hear the words “ham radio”?  If you are like most people, you picture retired men sitting with surplus World War II radio equipment using morse code to discuss the weather, and their radio equipment.  We’ll, that’s kinda true. But!  There is a lot more that you likely haven’t heard much about.

Amateur radio operators have always been on the leading edge of technology, and that is still true in today’s high-tech world.  Amateur radio operators worldwide continue to break new ground in the art & science of radio communications.  From local 2-way radio voice communications, to communications through satellites,  or communicating worldwide using any of a dozen different digital modes , ham radio has something for everyone.  (How about bouncing a radio signal off the moon?)

It’s not always about the technology.  Amateur radio operators all over the world regularly volunteer to provide communications for special events like marathons, bike races, parades and other public service events.

Click here to find out when and where club meetings and other activities are taking place. Guests are welcome to all meetings, so come on down to the clubhouse and say hello.

Whether you are already a licensed amateur, or would just like to learn more about ham radio, take a look around the website, click on a few links of interest on the Resource page, or Contact Us with questions.

 

Best Practices video produced by Brian Cooley K6EZX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHxNOMGSwAI

 

Click here to see our 2024 Public Service Signup List v17.1.

We are grateful to have wonderful help from our East Bay operators.  Looking for more fun?  Click here to see MDARC Public Service events

A Brief History of Amateur Radio

QSA-5 Newsletter

Click here to read back issues of our monthly newsletter.

 

 


ARRL Affiliated Club

 

ARRL Diamond Logo 

Public Service Signup List 2024

This is awaiting approval by the board. Meanwhile, be sure to come to the Public Service kickoff and recognition Saturday, April 6, 11:00 at the Clubhouse, 27 Shell Road, Mill Valley.

Once the list is approved, you can download a list of events and dates.  Add your name as a comment to the document to sign up for an event.  Our 2023 public service season is now complete.  New documents will be created for next year, probably around February.  See gallery for photos and posts for comments from the event.

Another list of the events, with links to event details, appears on this page, below the North Bay 2 Meter Critical Mass block.

North Bay 2 Meter Critical Mass

Calling all hams! Attention all stations, attention all stations:

The Marin Amateur Radio Society sponsors a monthly opportunity for Marin and Sonoma hams (actually, anyone interested) to get together and practice radio protocol. Rob Rowlands NZ6J, Milt Hyams KM6ASI, Michael Fischer K6MLF, James Renney KI6RGP, and other local experienced hams will be there with an entertaining program, usually featuring hands-on practice with radios.

The North Bay Two-Meter Critical Mass sessions will be useful for newly-licensed amateur radio operators. But it’s also a chance for experienced hams to gather and learn new tips. And to become an Elmer to assist those hams who are just learning how to operate their new radios.

During the COVID-19 limitations on gathering, we will meet on Zoom at 10:00 on the third Sunday of each month. When those limitations are lifted, we will resume in-person gatherings at the Marin County Civic Center lagoon, just across from the Jurors’ parking lot. Those in-person sessions will start at 10:00—again, every third Sunday. If the third Sunday falls on a holiday, it’ll be held on the 4th Sunday.

To get the Zoom link, and to learn of the agenda for each monthly session, go to https://groups.io/g/nb2mCM and click on “subscribe.”

Learn (or practice) the NATO phonetic alphabet; learn how to program your handheld radio in the field. Practice speaking on the radio at writing speed; learn how to “make every word an event.” Learn about the two types of ambulances: ALS and BLS—and what’s the difference between them. Learn the basics on how to communicate with satellites, using them as high-elevation repeaters to make long-distance contacts with your HT. Check out the “go-boxes” used by members to operate in public service events. Get familiar with the repeaters in our area. The basics of battery management, and more—something new each month.

Check out this video on radio protocol produced by CNET tech journalist and MARS member Brian Cooley K6EZX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHxNOMGSwAI That’s an example of what we’ll be practicing when we get together—again, on the third Sunday of each month; join us!

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